Stacking container



March 4, 1969 MUNK ET AL STACKING CONTAINER Sheet 013 Filed July 6, 1967 INVENTORS EDMUND MUNK HERBERT HAAS GERT WEINBERG ATTORNEY 'Fig.3

March 4, 1969 MUNK ET AL 3,430,806

STACKING CONTAINER Filed July 6, 1967 Sheet 3 us INVENTORS EDMUND HUNK HERBERT HAAS GERT WEINBERG ATTORNEY March 4, 1969 MUNK ETAL 3,430,806

STACKING CONTAINER Filed July 6, 1967 Sheet of s Fig.7

I Z4- a 25 75 20 A 142 I j INVBN'I'ORS EDMUND HUNK HERBERT HAAS GERT WEINBERG ATTORNEY States Patent Fice 3,430,806 STACKING CONTAINER Edmund Munk, In den Klaeren 25; Herbert Haas, In den Klaeren 27; and Gert Weinberg, Lerchenweg 14, all of Oberstenfeld, Germany Filed July 6, 1967, Ser. No. 651,465 Claims priority, application Germany, July 28, 1966,

U.S. Cl. 226-97 2 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 21/04 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application relates to an improved stackable container which could be manufactured by the process and equipment described in the co-pending United States patent application entitled, Process and Machine for Pro ducing Multidimensionally Molded Articles, Ser. No. 462,365, filed June 8, 1965, having a common assignee.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a container construction and, more particularly, to an improved type of construction permitting the resulting containers to be telescoped for minimum storage or be stacked without compressing the contents.

Description of the prior art Container construction which permits telescopic storage of a container while empty is generally known and in cludes such open-end containers as paper cups. However, when the open-end containers are filled with their normal contents, it is generally necessary to add a cover to the individual containers so that they may be stacked without compressing their contents.

Stackable open-top containers are well known, such as the utility containers disclosed in the United States Patent No. 2,916,161 to Schaefer. However, it is noted that the Schaefer containers, while they are stacked together in a telescopic manner, take up a maximum amount of space, since the one container is not inserted deeply into the next lower container, filling up the volume defined by the lower container. Thus, when the Schaefer containers are empty, they do not take up any less space than they do when they are full.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container which is open at one side and adapted to be stacked on other containers of the same kind and is preferably molded by the compression of a mixture of comminuted organic fibrous materials and a suitable binder, for example, a heat-setting adhesive. This container may have a shape, for example, of a topless box which consists of a bottom and four side walls.

It is an object of the invention to provide a container of the above-mentioned type which is designed so as to permit a large number of such containers in an empty condition to be telescopically inserted into each other so as to require very little space when stacked, and to permit the filled but uncovered containers to be stacked on top of each other without danger that the contents of one open container will be damaged by the container which is stacked thereon.

According to the invention, this object is attained by providing the upper end of each container facing the open side thereof with a stacking rim for supporting the lower edge of the stacking rim of the next higher empty container, and by bending at least two opposite side walls of the container about substantially vertical axes so as to form at least one outwardly projecting part in one side wall and at least one complementary inwardly projecting or recessed part in the opposite side wall and directly opposite to the outwardly projecting part in the other side wall. Underneath the stacking rim which extends vertically to the bottom of the container, the side walls are inwardly inclined so that, when the containers are inserted into each other and the stacking rims rest on each other, a narrow upwardly tapering gap remains between the inner surface of the stacking rim of a lower container and the outer surface of the inclined side wall portion of the next high container underneath its stacking rim and also a narrow gap between the outer surfaces of the inclined side walls of the upper container and the inner surfaces of the inclined side walls of the lower container. The width of this gap depends upon the height of the stacking rim and the angle of inclination of the side walls.

Consequently, when the empty containers are inserted into each other in equal positions so that the side walls with the projecting portions of all containers are located at the same side of the stack and the side walls with the recessed portions of all containers are located at the opposite side, a large number of such containers will take up very little space. When the containers are filled and are to be stacked on each other without danger that one container might damage the contents of the container underneath, the upper container is to be turned within a horizontal plane about an angle of relative to the lower container upon which it is placed so that the outwardly projecting wall portion or portions on the 'bottom of the upper container rest upon the upper edges of the corresponding recessed wall portion or portions of the lower container or vice versa. If the containers are designed so that each of the side walls which are provided with projecting or recessed portions, respectively, is provided with one projection or recess between two recessed or projecting parts which are located within the plane of the respective normal wall surface, at least six supporting points arranged in pairs will be attained which are offset relative to each other and therefore permit the filled containers to be stacked very solidly on each other. In this connection it is of importance that each of the projections or recesses on each of the respective side wallls must be disposed between two wall portions which are located within the plane of the respective normal side wall and that each of these side walls is symmetrical relative to its central upright plane.

The stability of a stack of such containers resting on each other when every second container is turned within a horizontal plane at an angle of 180 relative to the container underneath may be further increased by providing the lower edge of the projecting parts lying within the plane of one normal side wall and the lower edge of the recessed parts lying within the plane of the opposite normal side wall with a downwardly projecting ridge extending along this edge which, when this container is placed on the upper edge of the stacking rim of the lower container engages over this upper edge and absolutely prevents the upper container from shifting relative to the lower container and from possibly slipping off one side of the latter and dropping at that side into the lower container.

These and further features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of a contalner according to the invention of the most simple design;

FIGURE 2 shows a vertical longitudinal section of one half of the container according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows a perspective view of a larger container according to the invention;

FIGURE 4 shows a perspective view of two empty containers according to FIGURE I inserted within each other;

FIGURE 5 shows a vertical longitudinal section of one half of the two containers along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 shows a perspective view of two containers according to FIGURE 1 stacked on top of each other; while FIGURE 7 shows a vertical longitudinal section of one half of the two containers along line 77 of FIGURE 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate a container according to the invention which is provided with a bottom 11 of a substantially rectangular shape from which the side walls 12, 13, 14, and 15 extend upwardly. These side walls 12, 13, 14, and 15 extend to the bottom surface 11 at an obtuse angle at which will be subsequently defined in detail. The edges between the adjacent side walls are chamfered so as to form oblique corner surfaces 16, 17, 18, and 19. The upper edge portion of the container forms a stacking rim 20 and, since its surface extends vertically to the plane of the bottom 11, while the side walls 12, 13, 14, 15 themselves are inclined thereto at the angle a, the lower edge of the stacking rim is outwardly offset relative to upper edge of the side walls themselves so as to form a ledge 21.

Two opposite side walls 12 and 13 of the containers are plane and the upper edge of each of them is provided with a recess 22 or 23, respectively, which extends downwardly to a plane below the ledge 21, the purpose of which will be later described.

Two opposite side walls 14 and 15 which extend at right angles to the side walls 12 and 13 are each provided either with an outwardly projecting part or an inwardly projecting or recessed part. Thus, side wall 14- is provided with the outwardly projecting part 24- which, in the particular embodiment as illustrated, is defined by three plane surfaces which extend at an obtuse angle to each other but may also he of a different design and form, for example, a curved surface. The opposite side wall 15 is provided with a recessed part 25 in a position corresponding to that of the projecting part 24 and exactly opposite thereto, and it has a shape exactly complementary to that of the projecting part 24. The projecting part 24 is located between two wall portions 14a which are disposed within the normal plane of the side wall 14, and the recessed part 25 is located between two wall portions 15a which are disposed within the normal plane of the side wall 15. Both walls 14 and 15 are therefore symmetrical with reference to their central downwardly extending axis.

Of course, it is also possible to provide each of the two opposite side walls 14 and 15 with more than one projecting or recessed part. This is illustrated in FIGURE 3 in which the container is principally designed in the same manner as the container according to FIGURES 1 and 2. Its side walls 12 and 13 are likewise plane and provided with recesses 22 and 23, in its upper edges and the corners between these walls 12 and 13 and the side walls 14 and 15 are likewise chamfered so as to form corner surfaces 16, 17, 18, and 19. The upper edge portion of all side walls is also designed as on the container according to FIG- URES 1 and 2 so as to form a stacking rim 20 which extends at right angles to the bottom surface 11 so that its lower edges are outwardly offset relative to the upper edges of the inclined side walls 12 to 15 and form a ledge 21. Side walls 12 to 15 may be inclined at the same angle as those of the container according to FIGURES 1 and 2.

The side wall 14' of the container according to FIG- URE 3 is provided with three outwardly projecting parts 24 which are disposed directly opposite to the recessed parts 25' of the side wall 15'. The two ends of each of these side walls 14' and 15' and the parts between the adjacent projecting parts 24 of side wall 14 and between the adjacent recessed parts 25' of side wall 15 form wall surfaces 14a and 15a, respectively, which are disposed within the normal planes of these side walls. The corners between side walls 14 and 15 and the adjacent side walls 12 and 13 are again chamfered so as to form corner surfaces 16, 17, 18, and 19. Side walls 14 and 15 are again symmetrical with reference to their downwardly extending central axes.

In the containers according to FIGURES l to 3, the projecting parts of one side wall are exactly complementary to the recessed parts of the opposite side wall. Although this is the shape which for practical reasons would usually be employed, it is possible that for particular reasons the projecting and recessed parts of these walls may not be made alike. In such a case, however, the requirement must be fulfilled that the outwardly projecting and recessed parts be designed so that, when two containers of the same shape are placed on top of each other in a position in which their corresponding sides are turned within a horizontal plane at an angle of to each other, the lower edge of one projecting part of the upper container will intersect at least at two points the upper edge of the corresponding recessed part of the lower container or vice versa.

FIGURES 4 to 7 illustrate the practical use of the containers according to the invention. If the empty containers are to be stacked on each other, they are inserted into each other in the manner as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, so that the lower surface of the ledge 21 of the upper container will rest on the upper edge of the stacking rim 20 of the lower container. The angle a between each side wall and the bottom 11 of each container is made of such a size that a narrow gap 30 remains between the inclined parts of the corresponding side walls of two containers which are inserted into each other and each container of a stack is supported on the next lower container only by it stacking rim 20 resting on the stacking rim of the lower container. This has the advantage that the side walls which are inclined in order to permit them to fit into each other will not be ruined especially on the lower containers by the wedging action and the weight of the upper containers, and it has the further advantage that the containers can never be pressed into each other so strongly that the friction between them will prevent them from again being separated.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate the manner in which the containers are stacked on each other when filled. For this purpose it is necessary to turn the upper of two equal containers within a horizontal plane about an angle of 180 relative to the lower container so that a projecting part of the upper container will be located above a recessed part of the lower container or vice versa. The upper container will then always be solidly supported on the lower container by resting thereon at least at six points which are coordinated in pairs, that is, at those points where the lower edge of the upper container which is defined by its bottom and the respective side walls and forms on an angular line intersects the upper edge of the lower container which has a similar but reverse shape. The upper container is therefore solidly supported on the lower container due to the presence of three supporting lines which are formed by the lines which connect the associated pairs of supporting points and do not lie within a straight line. In this manner it is possible to stack any desired number of such filled containers on each other, provided the adjacent superimposed containers are turned at an angle of 180 to each other.

For increasing the stability of such a stack of containers it is advisable, as already described, to provide the corners between the bottom of each container and the side walls which are provided with the projecting and recessed parts with a downwardly projecting ridge 26. This ridge 26 is, however, provided merely on the lower edge of the projecting part or parts 24 or 24 of the side wall 14 or 14 and on the lower edges of the normal wall portions 15a and 15'a of the opposite side wall 15 or 15' which are disposed between the recessed parts or 25' of this wall. These ridges 26 must be of such size that those on an upper container will project downwardly over the edges of the stacking rim 20 of the next lower container and will thus prevent the upper container from sliding relative to the lower container. These ridges 26 are made of such a length that they will not be prevented by the upper edge of the outwardly projecting or recessed parts of the side walls adjacent to which they are mounted from gripping the upper edge of the stacking rim 20 so that the upper container will be properly placed on the lower container. This is especially of importance when the projecting and recessed parts are not of an accurately complementary shape.

The recesses 22 and 23 in the plane side walls are provided for the purpose of permitting an upper filled container of a stack to be easily lifted off the next lower filled container when it is gripped underneath the bottom thereof.

Of course, the containers may also be made of shapes other than those illustrated in the drawings without departing from the nature and scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the containers may have a shape other than rectangular and the outwardly projecting and recessed parts of the side walls may also be of any other suitable shape, and form, for example, curved surfaces. The projecting parts also do not need to have a size or shape exactly complementary to the size or shape of the opposite recessed parts, and the surfaces 16 to 19 which are formed by chambering the corners between the adjacent side walls may also be rounded. Instead of providing the recesses 22. and 23 in the upper edges of the plane side walls 12 and 13, in order to permit a filled container to be easily lifted ofi the container underneath, these edges may also be straight and uninterrupted and longitudinal slots or finger holes of any other shape may instead be provided in these side walls. If the vertical stacking rim 20 is made of a sufficient width and these slots or finger holes are provided therein, it is also possible to use them not only for lifting a filled top container off the container underneath, but also for lifting an empty top container or even several empty containers together out of the remainder of the stack. Of course, it is also possible to pro vide additional holes in the bottom or side walls of each container, for example, for reducing its weight or for serving as air holes if the containers are to be used, for example, for holding fruit, vegetables, or the like.

The containers according to the invention have the great advantage of permitting a very large number of empty containers to be stacked Within each other so that the entire stack will require very little space and of also permitting these containers in the filled condition to be stacked very solidly on each other without danger that the contents of any container might be damaged by the next higher container.

What is claimed is:

1. A stacking container having one open side, a bottom member (11) and side walls (12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15') extending from said bottom (11) to form said open side 0 opposite said bottom (11), wherein:

an edge portion of said side walls (12, 13, 14, 14', 15, 15') forms a stacking rim (20), said stacking rim (20) outwardly ofiset relative to said side walls (12, 13, 14, 14', 15, 15') forming a ledge (21) so that, when one of the containers is inserted into another of said containers, the lower surface of said ledge (21) of the upper container rests on the upper edge of the stacking rim (20) of the next lower container;

two opposite side walls (14, 15, 14', 15) are provided with at least one outwardly projecting part (24, 24') in one side wall and at least one substantially complimentary recessed part (25, 25) in a corresponding position in the opposite side wall;

the part of each side wall underneath said stacking rim (20) extends relative to the surface of said bottom (11) at such obtuse angle (a) that when a first container is inserted in a second container the outer surface and side wall of the first container is sep arated by a small gap (30) from the inner surface of the corresponding side wall of the second container;

the corner formed between the said outwardly projecting part (24, 24') and said bottom (11) of one side wall (14, 14') and the corner formed between said recessed part (25, 25') and said bottom (11) of the opposite side wall (15, 15'), which is provided with at least one recessed part, includes downwardly projecting ridges (26) extending along said corners;

said ridges (26), when one of such containers is stacked upon another of such containers, project downwardly over the upper edge of the stacking rim (20) of the lower container to prevent the upper container from shifting relative to the lower container; and

the unprojecting side Walls 12, 1'3) define recesses in their upper edges extending downwardly to a level beneath said ledge (21) formed by the lower edge of said stacking rim (20).

2. A container as defined in claim 1 molded of a mixture of comminuted organic fibrous materials and an adhesive.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner. 

